Virtual Cuddling, Dark Stores, the INC 5000 Conference and an Interview with Dan Pink | Non-Obvious Insights #239

Dear Newsletterest,

I have lots to share this week, including a big announcement coming Monday (see details below), another amazing guest for my weekly Non-Obvious Insights Show (Dan Pink) and stories about professional cuddlers, COVID passports, and why some retailers are operating "dark stores." There was so much to share that the story about a jetpack for paramedics to make epic mountain rescues didn't even make the cut this week. Crazy. Anyway, enjoy the stories and always stay non-obvious!

Join me at the INC 5000 Vision Conference For a Big Announcement!

Next week on Monday, October 19th I honored to be doing the opening mainstage session at the INC 5000 virtual conference on Non-Obvious Thinking: The Mindset You Need to Understand Trends and Anticipate the Future. The virtual event requires a paid ticket, but my session will be FREE so you have no excuse not to join!

Aside from lots of NEW content, my session will also include a live interview with Inc. editor in chief Scott Omelianuk and an open Q&A session where you can ask me anything. AND ... I will be sharing an announcement about my next big project that I'm very excited about. Want to be there?

Register for a Mainstage Pass for free here >>

How Some Travel Brands Are Adapting For Today (And How Some Aren't)

Despite the fact that the travel industry is seeing record declines, smart travel brands continue to work hard to inspire people to dream of travel. This week I was reminded of the importance of making sure this inspiration is delivered alongside an acknowledgement of the state of the world today. For example, many destinations are cleverly promoting themselves as being remote work friendly. To engage their customers, Singapore Airlines turned an A380 into a passenger restaurant.

Marriott also released another season of their beautifully filmed Storybooked documentary series, and it could have been brilliant too ... but the latest season includes videos clearly shot before the pandemic and ends up offering a sad reminder of all the travel experiences we are all missing right now instead of the uplifting celebration of wanderlust it could have been. Yes, it's a perfect moment for travel brands to help us dream of tomorrow. But without acknowledging the world today, it just feels incomplete.

What is the Future For Professional Cuddling In a Pandemic?

This story needs to start with a quick explanation. There is a profession called cuddling, and it's exactly what it sounds like. Someone who gets paid hourly to provide hugs and touch therapy, in a strictly non-sexual service. There is also a site and service, the Cuddlist, that trains professional cuddlers. Clearly the world needs this. And in a pandemic, these cuddle sessions have gone virtual ... which seems like it would defeat the point. Yet cuddlers are essentially professional empaths. They are used to calming people down and reducing human loneliness. When I first read this, it did seem strange that people would pay for a virtual cuddling session. But then I went on Twitter for five minutes and it made a lot more sense.

The Tenants Who Evicted Their Landlord

This weekend's New York Times had a powerful story about a tenant-led co-op group that managed to band together and win the right in court to purchase their own building. This story has just about every theme you would want in a Hollywood film. It's the little guys versus the big guys. An impossible challenge. And a victory that could have wide reaching implications for the real estate industry, urban living and perhaps capitalism itself. I imagine a lot of people are unhappy this story is even getting publicized. That alone seems like a good reason to read the whole thing.

Can a New "COVID Passport" Help Reopen Global Travel?

One potential future for reopening global travel involves rapid testing and some way to track whether people have a recent negative test. We soon may be getting documents like a "COVID Passport." On the surface, this seems like great news. The challenge is who will own the data and whether it will be secured in a way that can give people faith in the system. At this point, the airlines and airports have a chance to make lasting changes. This could be one of them.

Why Some Retailers Might Operate "Dark Stores" This Holiday Season

According to many retail industry analysts, this week may be the start of the first holiday season since the pandemic and plenty of people are nervous. You can expect plenty of reporting in the weeks to come about retail consumer behavior, how brands are adapting and what consumers really want. One strategy some retailers may turn to is operating "dark stores" - physical locations that only handle online orders and are not open to the public. Macy's is one of the first brands to try this, but it has big implications for malls and the rest of the industry. Particularly if it works.

Book Release of the Week:

Book Summary:
How can you be one of the "good guys" in business - helping to further the cause of equality and helping to promote and champion the women around you? This has become a newly urgent question and one that should certainly be asked (and answered) more often. There are many men who want to do something, but lack the knowledge on what to do. Most books on this topic are not written by men or for men. This one is different, co-authored by two Gender-in-the-workplace experts and filled with actionable advice on a topic every man must become better at.

Buy on Bookshop >>

Are you watching my Non-Obvious Insights Show every Thursday?

Every Thursday I interview another fascinating guest for my weekly live show broadcast to YouTube Live and LinkedIn Live. Here's a link to join me for this week's episode:

Want to watch past episodes? Just visit my YouTube channel to see a full archive of all my previous guests. Watch the full playlist on YouTube >>

How are these stories curated?

Every week I spend hours going through hundreds of stories in order to curate this email. Want to discuss how I could bring this thinking to your next event as a virtual speaker? Visit my speaking page >>

Be Part Of Our Community ...

Join our LinkedIn Group for the Non-Obvious Nation to read stories, share new perspectives and see the world a little differently. Join Now >>

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https://mailchi.mp/nonobvious/239?e=f7921ac548

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Virtual Cuddling, Dark Stores, the INC 5000 Conference and an Interview with Dan Pink | Non-Obvious Insights #239

Join me at the INC 5000 Vision Conference For a Big Announcement!

How Some Travel Brands Are Adapting For Today (And How Some Aren't)

What is the Future For Professional Cuddling In a Pandemic?

The Tenants Who Evicted Their Landlord

Can a New "COVID Passport" Help Reopen Global Travel?

Why Some Retailers Might Operate "Dark Stores" This Holiday Season

Book Release of the Week:

Are you watching my Non-Obvious Insights Show every Thursday?

Older messages

Inappropriate Onions, Tattoo Robots, Translating Whale Songs and How Teachers Would Fix Zoom | Non-Obvious Insights #238

How Humor Inspires Change, the Pathetic Debate and Heat Activated Stamps | Non-Obvious Insights #237

Filming Goes Into Space, Democracy-Saving Deepfakes and Why Netflix Cancels Shows After 2 Seasons | Non-Obvious Insights #236

An Inside Look at College Admissions, Why Some People Are Religious and a Housing Solution For Loneliness | Non-Obvious Insights #235

Gucci’s $10,000 Virtual Dress, the Return of the NFL and the Entertaining Future of Fundraising | Non-Obvious Insights #234

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